Two orphans mourn their lost parents while living under the care of their chubby Aunt Sannie. Gentle Otto the farm manager looks after his son Waldo and also gives the two girls love and understanding. Waldo and the girl... more &raquos are best friends. Things change when Bonaparte Blenkins (Richard E. Grant) shows up and he melts Aunt Sannie with his advances. But nobody can kid these kids. They know he is up to no good and he just wants to steal her money. He is mean to the children and eventually gets Otto out of the way. With no choice and no one to turn to the kids set a trap for Bonaparte. With the help of the farm animals and Oswald the Ostrich they try to expose him for the fraud he is. Will their plan succeed?&laquo less

Movie Reviews

A Modern-Day Fairytale

Caesar M. Warrington | Lansdowne, PA United States | 07/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"BUSTIN' BONAPARTE reminds me of those old fables and stories, that were once commonly told to children . The children were entertained, but were also required to think, thus learning something from the story which they carried into their lives. Anyone familiar with fairytale symbolism and archetypes will quickly recognize them in this movie.

BUSTIN' BONAPARTE takes place on a remote farm in South Africa, during sometime in the mid-19th century. Two little Boer girls, Lyndall (Kasha Kropinski) and Em (Anneke Weidemann) are stuck living with a fat, self-righteous woman named Sannie (Karin Van Der Laag). An aunt to the elder one, and a stepmother to the younger, Sannie rules over the farm and everything and anyone on it. The only joy the girls have is in being with Otto, a kindly old German farmhand (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and Waldo (Luke Gallant), his precocious mixed-race little boy. The old German is a self-educated man with a cabin full of books. He has repented his angry, foolish younger years and teaches the three children not only about the outside world, but also about the Good in the world.

Unfortunately, Otto had become too enamored and trusting of the good in people. One day an Irish vagabond, Bonaparte Blenkins (Richard E. Grant), shows up in rags and rotted shoes, begging for food and rest. The old German sticks up for Irishman against Sannie's prejudices. Otto takes Bonaparte in, clothes him, finds him work. Soon, however, the cunning outsider begins to win over the woman with lies and deception, ultimately at the expense of the old man.

I enjoyed this movie on many levels. It is a well done story, with quality acting. Not only Mueller-Stahl and Grant but the children -especially Luke Gallant as the adorable Waldo- give excellent performances as well. What truly makes this movie exceptional, however, is what it says about love and trust, righteousness and compassion, good and bad. It reminds the viewer that goodness must also be vigilant and that evil often comes out of petty selfishness."

The Fight between Good and Evil

S. Mitchell | Tyler, TX United States | 10/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful family movie...I don't have a family but I was delighted with it. The scheming stranger in a tall hat that wanders into the home of these farm people and the orphan's lives. He worms his way into the good graces of the cruel step-mother but the children see thru him. The kindly grandfather sees good in all. The movie reminded me of many fairy tails I have read tho there was no trick photography --it was all real life. You cannot go wrong with this movie. Gather the kids, pop the popcorn and get ready for a good family evening where you almost was to hiss at the villains!"

South African "Little House on the Prairie"

Artist & Author | Near Mt. Baker, WA | 02/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't let the DVD cover of this movie fool you; it doesn't do the movie justice in any way. I thought it was a dumb kids movie with talking animals. Instead, it is a wonderful family drama in the spirit of 'Anne of Green Gables.' Its values are probably closer to 'Little House on the Prairie.'

The first quality that stands out for traditional values families is Uncle Otto (Armin Muller-Stahl, who received an Oscar nomination for this portrayal) , who clearly is a humble Christian who genuinely loves everyone. Yet, he was not without sin. Maybe this is why he could be so humble, because he had a young black son that reminded him daily of his need for God's love. Unfortunately, he passes away in the movie, and after that the movie loses its sense of Divine purpose. He'd helped the kids see their activities and feelings in the context of God's purpose.

Since very few movies give any acknowledgment of righteousness being of the Divine, this movie is still a great family movie. I won't go into the story much, except that the two orphan girls and Otto's son know that the stranger is really just a gold digger and they try to prove it to their crabby, bitter aunt. Parents might want to discuss with their kids how the girls might have handled the situation if they could have talked it over with Uncle Otto. If you can find this South African movie and are looking for movies with a genuinely humble Christian role model, this movie is for your family."

Misleading Cover

Coconut"Jim" | Virginia | 03/15/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Well I bought this movie in a bargain bin and I'm glad I didn't pay more for it. I was expecting a nice family movie with lots of funny animal action.

Well...there was a dog and an ostrich in the movie....however....they played no major role whatsoever.

What I got was an extremely hard to follow dialect with a weak story line at best. I may not be refined enough to appreciate this movie.